SOME OF THE GERMAN PRISONERS
FRENCH AFRICANS
ON THE HEIGHTS OF MORONVILLIERS
French battle tactics
The war has proved again and again the difficulty of piercing a front like this. But it has its points of weakness
April 20, 1917
The French make excellent progress. They are attacking, it must be remembered, a long and very difficult front, which the enemy has held almost intact since the morrow of the Battle of the Marne. It is based throughout on commanding positions. Its right rests on the plateau of Vregny; its centre on the plateau of Craonne. Farther east it is strengthened by four rocky fortresses - Brimont, Fresnes, Witry, and Nogent I’Abbesse - from which the German guns have hardly ceased to throw their shells into Reims. Its left holds - or held till Wednesday night - the heights that surround Moronvilliers and look down on Auberive in Champagne.
The war has proved again and again the difficulty of piercing a front like this. But it has its points of weakness. It is almost too dependent on strong, positions. Between them there must be vulnerable spots. So long as the Germans were superior in weight of metal they could command such possible avenues for assaulting columns and could make them little more than death-traps. It remained to be seen whether, when the weight of metal passed to the Allies, the line could not be pierced at these joints in its armour of defence.
It is well to speak with caution of a gigantic operation like this battle. But the moral of the four days of fighting that have passed since Monday morning would seem to be that the German line along the Aisne Heights, north and east of Reims and into Champagne, can be broken, or it the least be roughly bent back, at the main angles of connexion between its points of greatest strength. The tactics of the French have been to seek out these angles and to throw the mass of their assault against them. Thus between the plateaux of Vregny and of Craonne there runs upwards from the Aisne a dividing road that passes some two miles east of the village of Soupir. The French attack has pressed up this road, has taken the village of Braye-en-Laonnais, and has spread west beyond Ostel and east to the outskirts of Courtecon. The wedge is being driven in between the two plateaux, and the attack flows up their slopes fan-wise to left and right from Braye.
The German hold on the Vregny plateau is very seriously threatened, for the French are attacking it also from the vest and south. Yesterday they had gone as far as Jouy and Aizy, and north-west of these villages were in Laffaux. It looks as though the Germans were evacuating what has become a very pronounced saliont in their lines. If so, the French will have gained a most valuable advantage.
South-east of Craonne the French have found another weak spot. Here runs the great national road from Reims to Laon, consecrated in French memories by Napoleon’s last characteristic stroke against Blucher in March, 1814. It was here that the French on Monday overran both the first and the second German lines. Here, on Wednesday, they surrounded and took “an important unit” of the enemy - 1,300 prisoners and 180 machine- guns. And here the Germans have made in vain their heaviest counter-attacks.
In Champagne, again, the French have made the most of the early success which gave thern the strong point of Auberive. Their troops had taken by Tuesday night the heights of Moronvilliers. Yesterday they told us that their attacks in this region were “everywhere successful.” it is clear that they were, for the French now hold the “High Mount,” as the commanding Hill 257, south-west of Moronvilliers, is called, and several other heights to the east of it, including Hill 227. These are the dominant positions in this region. North of them the ground falls sharply away. Reims itself is lcss than 12 miles to the west of them, and their capture should put in jeopardy the rock-fortresses that have tyrannized over it so long.
In the neighbourhood of the most northern of these forts the Russian contingent with the French Armies is flghting most gallantly. The German communique about the battle are still phrased in a peculiar way. The first issued yesterday said solemnly that the French troops “only approximately attained their tactical aims, to say nothing of their strategic objects.” Whatever this may mean, it is a poor concealment of ill success. Nor is the second German communique, issued last night, much happier in its assertion that German counter-attacks in Champagne, north-west of’ Auberive, were conmpensation for the French gains in that region.
We need not be unduly exhilarated by palpable German evasions of this kind. But they deepen our satisfaction at the most promising achievements of the French arms.
The war has proved again and again the difficulty of piercing a front like this. But it has its points of weakness. It is almost too dependent on strong, positions. Between them there must be vulnerable spots. So long as the Germans were superior in weight of metal they could command such possible avenues for assaulting columns and could make them little more than death-traps. It remained to be seen whether, when the weight of metal passed to the Allies, the line could not be pierced at these joints in its armour of defence.
It is well to speak with caution of a gigantic operation like this battle. But the moral of the four days of fighting that have passed since Monday morning would seem to be that the German line along the Aisne Heights, north and east of Reims and into Champagne, can be broken, or it the least be roughly bent back, at the main angles of connexion between its points of greatest strength. The tactics of the French have been to seek out these angles and to throw the mass of their assault against them. Thus between the plateaux of Vregny and of Craonne there runs upwards from the Aisne a dividing road that passes some two miles east of the village of Soupir. The French attack has pressed up this road, has taken the village of Braye-en-Laonnais, and has spread west beyond Ostel and east to the outskirts of Courtecon. The wedge is being driven in between the two plateaux, and the attack flows up their slopes fan-wise to left and right from Braye.
The German hold on the Vregny plateau is very seriously threatened, for the French are attacking it also from the vest and south. Yesterday they had gone as far as Jouy and Aizy, and north-west of these villages were in Laffaux. It looks as though the Germans were evacuating what has become a very pronounced saliont in their lines. If so, the French will have gained a most valuable advantage.
South-east of Craonne the French have found another weak spot. Here runs the great national road from Reims to Laon, consecrated in French memories by Napoleon’s last characteristic stroke against Blucher in March, 1814. It was here that the French on Monday overran both the first and the second German lines. Here, on Wednesday, they surrounded and took “an important unit” of the enemy - 1,300 prisoners and 180 machine- guns. And here the Germans have made in vain their heaviest counter-attacks.
In Champagne, again, the French have made the most of the early success which gave thern the strong point of Auberive. Their troops had taken by Tuesday night the heights of Moronvilliers. Yesterday they told us that their attacks in this region were “everywhere successful.” it is clear that they were, for the French now hold the “High Mount,” as the commanding Hill 257, south-west of Moronvilliers, is called, and several other heights to the east of it, including Hill 227. These are the dominant positions in this region. North of them the ground falls sharply away. Reims itself is lcss than 12 miles to the west of them, and their capture should put in jeopardy the rock-fortresses that have tyrannized over it so long.
In the neighbourhood of the most northern of these forts the Russian contingent with the French Armies is flghting most gallantly. The German communique about the battle are still phrased in a peculiar way. The first issued yesterday said solemnly that the French troops “only approximately attained their tactical aims, to say nothing of their strategic objects.” Whatever this may mean, it is a poor concealment of ill success. Nor is the second German communique, issued last night, much happier in its assertion that German counter-attacks in Champagne, north-west of’ Auberive, were conmpensation for the French gains in that region.
We need not be unduly exhilarated by palpable German evasions of this kind. But they deepen our satisfaction at the most promising achievements of the French arms.
Important success in Champagne
That the German endeavour to wrest the initiative from the French has so far failed is shown by the action late yesterday in the Moronvilliers sector, where the French carried several lines of enemy trenches
May 22, 1917
There has been active fighting along the Aisne and Champagne front, where, between Soissons and Reims, the enemy has been bombarding the French positions since Saturday in preparation for an attack. Practically everywhere the German attempts to get at grips with the French failed under barrage fire with heavy loss. At a few points where the infantry waves succeeded in reaching the French trenches the enemy was beaten back, except upon a front of some 200 yards north-east of Cerny.
That the German endeavour to wrest the initiative from the French has so far failed is shown by the action late yesterday in the Moronvilliers sector, where the French carried several lines of enemy trenches and captured a series of observation posts of considerable importance.
800 PRISONERS CAPTURED.
The following French communiques werc issued yesterday:
AFTERNOON. On the Chemin des-Dames the artillery duel continued during the night in the region north-west of Braye-en-Laonnois and on the Cerny-Hurtebise front. A German attack towards Froidmont Farm [west of Braye] was broken before reaching our lines. The enemy made no further attempt after the complete repulse of the general attack undertaken by him yesterday. There were short but violent artillery actions between the Miette and the Aisne and north-west of Reims. In the region of Chevreux [north-east of Craonne] we made slight progress and took some prisoners. In Champagne, at the end of yesterday, in two sectors of the Moronvilliers massif we carried out a fairly important operation, which succeeded brilliantly. Our troops carried several lines of enemy trenches on the northern slopes of Mount Carnillet on the one side and of the Casque and the Teton on the other. All the important observation posts in this region are in our hands. German counter-attacks taken under our fire were turned back with huge losses. In the course of these actions we took some 800 prisoners, and found the shattered enemy dug-outs piled up with dead.
EVENING.
The day was comparatively quiet. There were intermittent artillery actions on the greater part of the front, except in Champagne, wvhere the enemy violently bombarded the positions which we captured yesterday in the region south of Moronvilliers. There was no infantry action.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-07-04/register/the-devils-cauldron-of-thiepval-stbc3bwr8
The countryside in this part of Galicia is hilly and difficult, and rapid movements are impossible. Reports from both sides testify that the struggle on Sunday was fierce and bitter. The capture by the Russians of the well-fortified position at the village of Koniuchy, north of Brzezany, is admitted. The Germans make the usual claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on the Russians, and it is significant that the Russians themselves admit that some of their detachments “sustained severe losses, especially in officers”. The line attacked was held by mixed German and Austrian troops, together with some Turks, these last probably amounting to a couple of depleted divisions. We must wait a few days before assessing the precise magnitude of the new Russian offensive, but meanwhile we may rejoice that the Provisional Government and General Brusiloff have succeeded in renewing military operations. The Germans were talking of Russian activity all last week, and their apprehensions were marked by a change of tone in the German Press, which suddenly began to taunt the Russian forces with incompetence.
We shall not indulge in premature congratulations, but our Russian Allies may be assured that their comrades in the West are greatly cheered by the news from Galicia. Sunday’s battle should mark the revival of the conviction that Russian liberties can only be assured, and that a lasting peace can only be won, by the definite overthrow of the German and Austrian armies in the field.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-07-05/register/the-fricourt-attack-0wwfkknkh
Sir, May I ask you to publish this letter, which I have just received from Germany, dated “20th May, Crefeld”, from my husband, one of the senior officers, who has had the misfortune to have been taken prisoner in August, 1914, when he was very severely wounded? He says:
“Is nothing ever going to be done for the prisoners? It is getting on now for nearly three years for a lot of us, and life here gets worse as time goes on. Several fellows have again to go through the hardest time imaginable for reprisals to German officers in England. God knows it is hard enough to carry on as it is, without this appalling punishment. If German officers in England are being subject to this, for Heaven’s sake get something done. The commandant assured me, when I tried to intervene on behalf of a fellow I know can’t stand this treatment, ‘It has to be carried out to vindicate the treatment received by the flower of the German Army in England’. There is only one thing to say, and that is it’s damnable. The fellows here are feeling this solitary confinement terribly, and it is a damned shame it should be resorted to, in England or Germany. Parcels are very unpunctual in arriving, and we depend solely on them; letters are very erratic. I’ve had nothing for nine days in the shape of any letters from home. Added to these worries and discomforts we have naturally to go through is added one of solitary confinement in a cell you can barely turn round in, cut off from everybody for 22 hours at the least out of 24. The German officers must have better treatment in England, and I look to you to try and see it is done — for the sake of these poor fellows here.”
Evidently my husband has been obliged to put in about the treatment of German prisoners here to get his letter through. It is a disgraceful state of affairs, as far as the prisoners of war are concerned, that Germany should have the entire upper hand. Last week I was informed “that if the report about the prisoners of war in Germany, their treatment and the way things have been managed by those in authority here for them, was put on the table of the House, it would put the Mesopotamia Commission in the shade”.
I am, Sir, Yours faithfully,
a prisoner’s wife.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/captured-austrian-films-qgj9p3x3v
The movement is a branch of the Ulster Women’s Fund, which has, since November, 1915, assisted 6,000 Irish soldiers under treatment in hospital, apart from what it has
done for prisoners of war. The Royal visitors were received by Lady Carson, the Duchess of Abercorn, Lady Kilmorey, and Mr Pitcairn.
A novelty in the programme was the display of some captured Austrian pictures. The films, which were captured while being taken to America, depict scenes on the Austrian battle front, and in artistic merit they are of a high order.
They give a vivid idea of the great natural obstacles which our Italian Allies have had to overcome in their advances. Naval pictures of our own forces were shown by permission of the Admiralty. Small craft, submarines, cruisers, and battleships were seen at rest and in manoeuvres. There were many views of the Grand Fleet and some showing the Queen Elizabeth doing full calibre firing at sea. The submarine service was the subject of a long reel.
TWELVE O’CLOCK CONCERT
Hurlstone’s Pianoforte Quartet (E minor) was repeated yesterday at the AEolian Hall. It is full of good things — charming episodes in the first movement, a well-developed theme in the second, the original trio of the third, and brevity, the soul of wit, in the last. If the performance had been worthy of it, it would have stood out as one of the musical experiences of the week.
Miss Backhouse, Mr W Warner, Mr W Evans, and Miss M Verne all contributed good moments, but that is all that can be said. The faulty intonation of the first violin was a drawback, but the hard touch on the piano worked more serious mischief; it distracted attention from the easy flow of the part-writing, and created din under which the other two instruments could not hear themselves.
Mlle Andre sang two French folk-songs very prettily.
That the German endeavour to wrest the initiative from the French has so far failed is shown by the action late yesterday in the Moronvilliers sector, where the French carried several lines of enemy trenches and captured a series of observation posts of considerable importance.
800 PRISONERS CAPTURED.
The following French communiques werc issued yesterday:
AFTERNOON. On the Chemin des-Dames the artillery duel continued during the night in the region north-west of Braye-en-Laonnois and on the Cerny-Hurtebise front. A German attack towards Froidmont Farm [west of Braye] was broken before reaching our lines. The enemy made no further attempt after the complete repulse of the general attack undertaken by him yesterday. There were short but violent artillery actions between the Miette and the Aisne and north-west of Reims. In the region of Chevreux [north-east of Craonne] we made slight progress and took some prisoners. In Champagne, at the end of yesterday, in two sectors of the Moronvilliers massif we carried out a fairly important operation, which succeeded brilliantly. Our troops carried several lines of enemy trenches on the northern slopes of Mount Carnillet on the one side and of the Casque and the Teton on the other. All the important observation posts in this region are in our hands. German counter-attacks taken under our fire were turned back with huge losses. In the course of these actions we took some 800 prisoners, and found the shattered enemy dug-outs piled up with dead.
EVENING.
The day was comparatively quiet. There were intermittent artillery actions on the greater part of the front, except in Champagne, wvhere the enemy violently bombarded the positions which we captured yesterday in the region south of Moronvilliers. There was no infantry action.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-07-04/register/the-devils-cauldron-of-thiepval-stbc3bwr8
July 4, 1917
The Russian attack in Galicia
The fierce battle in Galicia on Sunday has ended the stagnation on the Russian front, and confounded the prophets of evil who thought quite sincerely that Russia was “out of the war”. We can only hope that the fine example of the Russian South-Western Army will prove infectious, and that north of the Pripet marshes the inactive troops will once more take up their arms. In Galicia, at any rate, the Russian soldiers have plunged into the conflict with an ardour which seems to have produced remarkable results. It is stated that in one day’s fighting on Sunday they took prisoner 173 officers and more than 10,000 men, which is more than the entire British captures on the Western front during June.The countryside in this part of Galicia is hilly and difficult, and rapid movements are impossible. Reports from both sides testify that the struggle on Sunday was fierce and bitter. The capture by the Russians of the well-fortified position at the village of Koniuchy, north of Brzezany, is admitted. The Germans make the usual claim to have inflicted heavy casualties on the Russians, and it is significant that the Russians themselves admit that some of their detachments “sustained severe losses, especially in officers”. The line attacked was held by mixed German and Austrian troops, together with some Turks, these last probably amounting to a couple of depleted divisions. We must wait a few days before assessing the precise magnitude of the new Russian offensive, but meanwhile we may rejoice that the Provisional Government and General Brusiloff have succeeded in renewing military operations. The Germans were talking of Russian activity all last week, and their apprehensions were marked by a change of tone in the German Press, which suddenly began to taunt the Russian forces with incompetence.
We shall not indulge in premature congratulations, but our Russian Allies may be assured that their comrades in the West are greatly cheered by the news from Galicia. Sunday’s battle should mark the revival of the conviction that Russian liberties can only be assured, and that a lasting peace can only be won, by the definite overthrow of the German and Austrian armies in the field.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-07-05/register/the-fricourt-attack-0wwfkknkh
july 5, 1917
German treatment of prisoners
To the Editor of The Times.Sir, May I ask you to publish this letter, which I have just received from Germany, dated “20th May, Crefeld”, from my husband, one of the senior officers, who has had the misfortune to have been taken prisoner in August, 1914, when he was very severely wounded? He says:
“Is nothing ever going to be done for the prisoners? It is getting on now for nearly three years for a lot of us, and life here gets worse as time goes on. Several fellows have again to go through the hardest time imaginable for reprisals to German officers in England. God knows it is hard enough to carry on as it is, without this appalling punishment. If German officers in England are being subject to this, for Heaven’s sake get something done. The commandant assured me, when I tried to intervene on behalf of a fellow I know can’t stand this treatment, ‘It has to be carried out to vindicate the treatment received by the flower of the German Army in England’. There is only one thing to say, and that is it’s damnable. The fellows here are feeling this solitary confinement terribly, and it is a damned shame it should be resorted to, in England or Germany. Parcels are very unpunctual in arriving, and we depend solely on them; letters are very erratic. I’ve had nothing for nine days in the shape of any letters from home. Added to these worries and discomforts we have naturally to go through is added one of solitary confinement in a cell you can barely turn round in, cut off from everybody for 22 hours at the least out of 24. The German officers must have better treatment in England, and I look to you to try and see it is done — for the sake of these poor fellows here.”
Evidently my husband has been obliged to put in about the treatment of German prisoners here to get his letter through. It is a disgraceful state of affairs, as far as the prisoners of war are concerned, that Germany should have the entire upper hand. Last week I was informed “that if the report about the prisoners of war in Germany, their treatment and the way things have been managed by those in authority here for them, was put on the table of the House, it would put the Mesopotamia Commission in the shade”.
I am, Sir, Yours faithfully,
a prisoner’s wife.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/captured-austrian-films-qgj9p3x3v
july 6, 1917
Captured Austrian films
Royal Visitors to Lady Carson’s matinee: Queen Alexandra, Princess Mary, the Princess Royal, and Princess Maud were present yesterday at the New Kinema Theatre, Regent Street, at a matinee arranged by Lady Carson in aid of the fund for assisting Ulster soldiers, and supplying necessaries to Irish prisoners of war.The movement is a branch of the Ulster Women’s Fund, which has, since November, 1915, assisted 6,000 Irish soldiers under treatment in hospital, apart from what it has
done for prisoners of war. The Royal visitors were received by Lady Carson, the Duchess of Abercorn, Lady Kilmorey, and Mr Pitcairn.
A novelty in the programme was the display of some captured Austrian pictures. The films, which were captured while being taken to America, depict scenes on the Austrian battle front, and in artistic merit they are of a high order.
They give a vivid idea of the great natural obstacles which our Italian Allies have had to overcome in their advances. Naval pictures of our own forces were shown by permission of the Admiralty. Small craft, submarines, cruisers, and battleships were seen at rest and in manoeuvres. There were many views of the Grand Fleet and some showing the Queen Elizabeth doing full calibre firing at sea. The submarine service was the subject of a long reel.
TWELVE O’CLOCK CONCERT
Hurlstone’s Pianoforte Quartet (E minor) was repeated yesterday at the AEolian Hall. It is full of good things — charming episodes in the first movement, a well-developed theme in the second, the original trio of the third, and brevity, the soul of wit, in the last. If the performance had been worthy of it, it would have stood out as one of the musical experiences of the week.
Miss Backhouse, Mr W Warner, Mr W Evans, and Miss M Verne all contributed good moments, but that is all that can be said. The faulty intonation of the first violin was a drawback, but the hard touch on the piano worked more serious mischief; it distracted attention from the easy flow of the part-writing, and created din under which the other two instruments could not hear themselves.
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